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New Performance Interiors

Standard on the XKR-S and optional on XKR models are new Performance front seats. Featuring integrated head restraints and increased support, the new seats hold driver and passenger securely and comfortably in place. The 16-way power adjustable seat is supplemented by memory and heating functions. The Jet Poltrona Frau Italian leather headlining is standard on the XKR-S, and is offered as an option on other models.

The central seven-inch Touch-screen provides an intuitive interface for the technology that is seamlessly incorporated into the XKR Convertible, including iPod and USB connectivity and satellite navigation with DVD mapping. The central screen also projects the image from the new reverse parking camera.

XKR Convertible's Powertrain and Dynamics

Jaguar sports cars have a reputation for blending athletic high-performance with effortless cruising comfort. Nothing exemplifies this dual character more clearly than the 5.0-liter V8 engine in the XKR Convertible.

Now in its third generation, this offers not only tremendous power but also great efficiency by incorporating the very latest technology including spray-guided direct injection (SGDI) and dual independent variable cam timing (DIVCT). Like the car itself, the engine is constructed from high-grade, lightweight aluminum. The cylinder heads are made with recycled aluminum to reduce the environmental impact of manufacture.

The XKR Convertible uses a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddles to control the Jaguar Sequential Shift function.

Luxury and Performance Duality

The Jaguar XKR model's exhilarating driving dynamics are the result of the latest generation of Jaguar's Adaptive Dynamics technology that provides a continuous and seamlessly variable damping strategy to negate the traditional trade-off between ride comfort and handling.

Adaptive Dynamics performs three main functions: controlling vertical body movement, roll and pitch rates. One hundred times every second, Adaptive Dynamics analyzes the thousands of inputs and variables which determine ride and handling characteristics. By also monitoring wheel position 500 times every second, the system is able to achieve the famous Jaguar duality between comfort and sporting appeal. Should the driver wish to alter these characteristics, there is the option of Dynamic Mode, which increases body control, sharpens throttle response and reduces gearshift times.

The 2012 Jaguar XKR Convertible also benefits from Jaguar's Active Differential Control technology. This uses a multi-plate clutch to vector torque to the driven wheel with the most grip. Allied to the ABS and stability control, this allows for the ultimate in traction and precision both mid-corner and upon exiting the apex. Non-supercharged models use a mechanical differential, which delivers outstanding levels of grip and stability under power.

The 2012 Jaguar XKR Convertible benefits from the Dynamic Stability Control system which offers four modes: normal, Winter, TracDSC and DSC Off, allowing the enthusiastic driver to choose the level of intervention dependent on road conditions.

Jaguar XKR Convertible: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications